


Thankful For The Love

by goddess_julie



Series: But I Know Yes I Know (We'll Be Alright) [9]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Artificial Insemination, F/F, F/M, Genderswap, Kid!Fic, Kidfic, Pregnancy, girl!Niall, girl!Zayn, girl!direction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2842364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_julie/pseuds/goddess_julie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn has come down with a cold and so has to be separated from Niall so she doesn't get her or the baby sick.  Niall's moved in with Louis and Harry while Sophia and Liam are taking care of Zayn.  Everything is fine except Zayn is Niall's Lamaze partner and now she might have to go alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thankful For The Love

**Author's Note:**

> I think I just wanted a cute, fluffy piece that focuses on Louis and Niall for a bit. Feedback is awesome. Hope you're all enjoying this series.

Zayn hasn’t been able to get out of bed for about four days. Niall wants to be there with her to help take care of her, but they can’t risk compromising her immune system, so she’s been staying at Louis and Harry’s house while Liam has all but moved in to Zayn and Niall’s apartment. Initially, Niall had suggested that she just swap with Liam, but Sophia and Liam had whined that it wasn’t fair for them to have to forgo sex for fear of Liam infecting Sophia who could potentially infect Niall and the babies.

Niall doesn’t understand how they can’t abstain for a few days. “You can think of it as Operation Cease Ejaculation for Mission Impregnate Zayn!” Niall had suggested. She’s almost certain that if they weren’t afraid of the wrath that Zayn would impart retroactively, they both would have smacked Niall hard at the suggestion.

Niall is just entering her thirty second week. They have two months left until it’s time to meet their son or daughter and while she thought they were doing well before, the Lamaze class that Harry had recommended they look into has helped. More than either can admit. Zayn and Niall have met a group of other women, mostly first time mothers with their various Lamaze partners. Some of their baby’s father as their partner, a few are lesbian couples just like they are and there are a few that have a friend or family member helping. Most importantly, it’s given Zayn and Niall a place to voice their fears questions and experiences with other individuals who understand.

The phone is ringing in Niall’s lap. Louis can’t help but look from the book he’s currently trying to focus on to Niall and down to her lap. “Are you going to answer that?” He asks, surprised when she bites her lip and shakes her head.

“No. I don’t think so.”

Louis frowns. Taking a closer look at Niall, he sees that she’s pale, paler than she normally is and her lip is red and swollen from where she’s been biting it. The ringing stops for a few moments before it starts again. Niall picks up the phone and places it on the coffee table in front of her, shifting her weight to accommodate her baby bump.

For a woman as small as Niall is, Louis can’t help but wonder how her child has gotten to be as big as it has. And he doesn’t even want to think about how she’s going to get it out of her. More importantly, the pressing issue is Niall’s phone and her refusal to answer it.

“Niall?”

“Tommo?” She looks up at him with wide eyes and he steels his expression not to react at how afraid she looks. Instead, he stands up and crosses the room, sitting close enough to his friend so that he can pull her close into his embrace.

“Are you sick?” He asks. She shakes her head and he nods. “Is there something wrong with the baby? Something you’re not telling me?” Again, he watches her shake her head.

Before he can ask anything else, his phone rings. He can tell from the tone that it’s Liam. 

“Babe, you’re not answering yours. If I don’t answer mine they’ll send the police.”

Niall gives a soft chuckle and nods. “Okay.”

“Payno,” Louis says by way of greeting. “Yeah, we’re in the middle of something. Is someone dead? Dying? Can I call you back?” He waits for Liam to speak and smiles. “Ahhhh. Gotcha. Either I’ll call or she will. But we’re fine here. Tell Zee to stop worrying. Bye.” He ends the call and waits for Niall to relax once again.

“I…” It takes a few minutes before Niall starts to speak. She turns so that his arm is still around her shoulders but she’s facing him. “Zee’s sick.”

Louis gives an exaggerated nod. “I figured. What with you being here for the past half week and plans to stay longer until she’s less contagious.” He nudges Niall softly to show he’s joking. “You know she’s going to be okay right? Like s’just a flu or something.”

Niall shakes her head emphatically. “I know. No, I know. I’m not worried ABOUT Zee. I mean, I am, but not. I just … Tomorrow’s Friday.”

Louis waits for her to continue. 

“We have class tomorrow night. I’ve never gone alone.” Niall’s hands start to subconsciously rub at her belly, long sweeping motions that she finds soothes her and the baby. She can feel him or her getting anxious with her stress and knows she needs to calm down. She reaches for the cup of tea Louis had made her earlier and takes a long, satisfying drink of it. When she turns back to Louis, she sees him still watching him patiently. “I’m afraid to go alone.”

Louis’ lips curl into a fond smile. This woman is a spit fire. She is one of the bravest, most amazing women he’s ever known and in the entire time that they’ve been friends, he’s never seen her this vulnerable.

“And Payno can’t go because obviously. And Harry has a showcase that he’s doing at the Gallery with Pez.” Niall blinks back the tears she’d previously been successfully able to keep at bay. A few slip down her cheeks and she sighs. “And I don’t want to go alone.”

“Nialler,” Louis says gently. He reaches in to wipe at her cheeks and kisses the tracks her tears have made. “You understand that my mum is a midwife right? Like, that is legit her job in life. To help women give birth.” He laughs as she rolls her eyes.

“If your mum is able to come with me, great. Tell her class is at seven. But last time I checked she was still in Donny and god knows she has enough on her plate to come down and help me for a few hours.”

“You are so fucking lucky I love you Nialler,” Louis says with a shake of his head. “I mean, who do you think she’d use as an assistant when she was in a pinch?”

Niall’s eyes widen and he watches as her cheeks turn pink and her jaw opens forming an ‘o’ with her mouth.

“Yes babe,” Louis confirms. “I mean, it’s just me and I don’t know if I’m what you’re looking for…”

Niall doesn’t even try to keep the tears from falling. She’s thrown herself at Louis, mindful of her stomach and how she now outweighs him considerably. “Really?” She asks softly. “You’d …you’d come?”

“Of course,” Louis assures her. “I’ll be home from school by five at the latest. I have a few tutorials after last class I am running and then we can head over. We’ll even do dinner and make it a proper date night. Just Tommo and Nialler.”

“Nialler and Tommo,” Niall argues as she continues to hug Louis within an inch of his life.

“We’ll negotiate.” Louis extracts himself from Niall’s arms and stands up. “Now, call your wife. She’s all up in Payno’s business on why you won’t answer and if she doesn’t talk to you NOW, she’s going to have all our balls.”

There are fourteen new messages on Niall’s voicemail. Not to mention the thirty or so texts that she’s sent in the interim. Without reading them or listening, Niall dials Zayn’s number and waits. It’s barely half a ring before it’s answered, Zayn’s croaky voice barely audible through the line.

“What the fuck is the matter with you,” Zayn answers sharply. Her voice has just enough of a hint of worry that Niall doesn’t react. 

“Sorry babe,” she sniffs. Immediately, Niall hears Zayn’s intake of breath.

“Payno said you were fine. That you were alright, is everything okay? Why are you crying? Oh my god, what’s wrong?” Zayn has gone past concerned and immediately into melt down mode. Niall can’t help but giggle.

“I’m fine babe. Tommo…”

“I’ll fucking kill him! What did he do to you?”

The angrier she gets the harder Niall laughs. “Babe, you need to relax. Take a pill and pass out for a few hours.” She waits a few moments and hears Zayn’s distressed breathing on the other end of the line. Niall knows it’s partially from how sick she is, but also because she’s worried. It’s the longest they’ve been apart since Niall has gotten pregnant and it’s affecting both of them more than either would have expected.

“I wasn’t answering because … I was just worried. About tomorrow night and I know you can’t come, but I thought that if you couldn’t call to tell me you couldn’t go, then you’d be magically better by tomorrow and come.”

“Aww babe,” Zayn coos. “But…”

“And I know Payno can’t come which stressed me out. And I thought ‘hey Harry could’, but he has that showing tomorrow night with Pezza and…”

“But babe,” Zayn tries to interrupt without success.

“I just couldn’t answer. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Why don’t you just ask Lou?” Zayn finally manages to ask. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. His mum is a midwife and he’s gone through it all with her and his sisters as well as with clients she’s had. If anyone should take you it’s him.”

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Niall barks out a laugh. “Is that why you’ve been calling?” She looks up to see a confused look on Louis’ face and she snorts. “Hold on babe,” she says into the phone before turning to Louis. “She’s been calling to tell me that you should come to Lamaze with me tomorrow night.” Niall blushes at the knowing smirk that covers Louis’ face.

“Huh. Imagine if you’d just answered the phone an hour ago.”

“Shut it,” she says both to Zayn who is laughing at her and Louis who is teasing her. She talks to Zayn for a few more minutes until she can hear her starting to doze off. 

“Hey,” Louis says once Niall has hung up her phone. She’s still curled up on the couch and he’s back at the table where he’d started off earlier. “Since you’re taking me out to dinner tomorrow night…” When Niall flashes him a look of disbelief. “Of course you’re taking me to dinner tomorrow night. As thanks for me being such a great friend and gracious host.”

Niall raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms over her chest.

“And I’m going to give you the best foot rub ever tonight.” Niall nods. “And I’m going to run you the warmest, most comfortable bath ever.”

“So yes.” Niall agrees. “Since I’m taking you to dinner tomorrow night?”

“I thought maybe I’d take you to dinner tonight.”

Niall snorts as she barks out laughter. “Lou? I’d have started with that.”

“Yeah, well the dinner I’m going to take you and Haz out to tonight is going to be so great. Your foot rub and bath so luxurious that you won’t even be able to NOT take me to dinner after Lamaze tomorrow night.”

Niall scrambles to pull herself off the couch, grateful for Louis’ extra help as he grips her arms and tugs her. “Get your stuff. I’m going to call Haz and see where he is and then have him meet us somewhere for dinner. What do you feel like?”

Niall’s lips curl into a giant grin. Louis shakes his head.

“I don’t even know why I asked,” he chuckles. “Nando’s it is.”

“I want two orders of peri peri fries. With the Perionaise. AND…”

“Babe, you can get whatever you want. And whatever you can’t eat? Bring it home for lunch tomorrow.” Niall has thrown herself into his arms before he’s fully prepared to catch her. They tumble into the wall, giggling against each other. 

“You’re my favourite Lou!” Niall squeals as she kisses his cheek playfully. “Now, I just have to use the loo and we’ll be set to go.” 

Louis calls Harry and arranges for them to meet at the restaurant while Niall heads into the bathroom. When she’s finished and has washed her hands, she pulls her phone out of her pocket. Her fingers hover over Liam’s number for a moment before she presses the button to connect.

Liam’s voice comes over the phone gruffly, it’s clear that he’s caught what Zayn has and is trying to hide it.

“Oi, are you sick too Leemo?” Niall asks. She groans as he coughs. 

“Not as bad as Zee,” Liam admits. “We’re fine babe. How are you?”

They talk for a few moments, Niall happy just to hear Liam’s voice and let him know that she’s fine. She asks if he wants them to drop soup off for them after dinner. When he says no, she assures him they’re going to do it anyways. 

“We’ll leave it in front of the door,” she says as she ignores his protests. We’ll call when we’re on the way and knock. I won’t even have to see you guys.”

“Fine,” Liam sighs. She can tell that he’s smiling, just by the tone of his voice. Niall has to blink back the tears as she thinks about how much she misses Zayn. How much not being at the flat and being able to sit in the baby’s room and think has affected her. She thinks that if the illness passes through the weekend, she’s going to have someone go into the flat and sterilize it all and make Zayn move in to Liam’s so she can move back home. Really, she just wants to fall asleep and wake up with Zayn. She wants to feel her arms around her. To have Zayn talking to her and the baby, singing them both to sleep and rubbing her back when she’s sore. Harry has been great, Louis too. But she’s not in love with them.

A knock on the door interrupts her thoughts. She tells Liam goodbye and that they’ll be over later. When she opens the door, she’s wiping at her eyes and falls into Louis’ embrace. 

“She’ll be better soon love,” he assures her softly as he strokes her hair.

“I know.”

“And think of all the reunion sex you’re going to have.”

They both break into mirroring grins. Niall threads her fingers with Louis’, allowing him to lead her out the door and towards his car. She lets him know that they have a delivery to make after dinner. She wants to go and get them a giant care package with everything that they need and a lot of things that they probably don’t but she still feels that they should have. Louis understands that she’s highly emotional, hormones spiking with the baby and missing Zayn and for that reason, simply agrees with her and tells her that once they’ve had dinner and Harry is with them, they will go shopping, get everything her little heart desires and drop it off for them.

It’s only a few hours later that they’re back at Harry and Louis’ flat, the three of them curled up on the couch watching a football game. Harry’s not as passionate about it, but seeing his best friend and his boyfriend as excited as they are, he simply tucks his feet under Louis’ thighs and balances Niall’s head on his lap. The three are wrapped around one another, cozy and comfortable, Harry braiding Niall’s long hair while she subconsciously strokes her belly as Louis gives her a foot rub. 

They have two months before they meet Niall and Zayn’s baby. It’s moments like this that they can’t help but stop and enjoy themselves and each other.

“Love you babe,” Harry says softly. He tugs on Niall’s braid while poking at Louis’ thigh. They exchange a smile and both look up at him warmly.

“We love you too Haz,” Niall answers for them. She yelps when Louis leans in to kiss her forehead gently.

“And I you, Nialler.”

“Oh Louis,” Niall sighs. She cups his jaw and melts. “You are quite wonderful.”

Niall misses Zayn. She misses her bed and her love and her flat. But being here with Harry and Louis. Being taken care of by them she knows that there could be worse things and she’s thankful for how truly lucky she is.


End file.
